Catching and holding device.



W1 TNESSES.-

A E. L.' HITT.

CTGHING ND HOLDING DEVICE.

APPLIogTIoN FILED 001.28, 1901.Y Y

Patented Sept'. 15, 1908.

3 SBEETBfSHEBT 1.

E. L. Hrm, Y CATCHING AND HOLDING DEVICE.

APPLIOATIoKlILBp 001220.1901. v f

' .atente Sept'15,1908.

INVENTOR El: .H1715 WJTNESSES.-

mr nogal: mzrsm. lnsumcruu. n. n

,f No. 898,890.

Application led'october 26, 1907. Serial No.. 399,368.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it 4known that I, ELLE'r L. Hrrr, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Weiser, in the county of "a-shington4 and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Catching and Holding Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descri )tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful im-` proven-rents 1n catching and holding devlces and more particularly to that class ada ted to be used in catching animals and my o ject is to provide means for automatically securing the catcher to the limb of an animal.

A further object is to provide means for releasine` the animal.

A stil further object is to rovide means for directing the catching and iolding device in engagement with the limb of an animal, while' the operator is at a distance from the animal and a still further object is to provide means for increasing or decreasing the size of the gripping parts of the device. s

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accoinanying drawings which are made a part of t iis a lication, Figure 1 is an elevation of the catcning and holding device, showing the same in position to be operated by giving a pull thereto. Fig. 2 is an edge elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view, as seen on line 3 3, Flg. 1. Fig. 4 is an elevation showing the device in osition to be .thrust into engagement with t e limb of an animal portions thereof being in section. Fig. 5 is an edge elevation the: eof. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a slightly modified form of catching and holding device, and, Fig. 7 is an edge elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate vcorresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the body of the catcher, which is preferably U-shaped, one arm 2 of which 1s` provided with a pad 3, preferably consisting of a strip of leather laced in position on the upper end of the arm, while the arm 4 is of less length than the arm 2 and is provided with ears 5 at its upper end, between which is pivotally mounted a lever 6, said lever being of sufiieient length to extend into engagelment with the arm 2, when the lever is moved QATCHING vAN D HOLDING' DEVICE.

Specification of ietters Patent.

Pateneeasept. 15, 190s.

across the path of the U-shaped body l, and in order to hold the lever in its inward position, a head is provided for the lower end of the lever, the edge of which is provided with a plurality of teethSj, with which is adapted to engage a'plunger 9 carried in a socket 10 on the arm 4.-

The plunger 9 is vieldingly held in engagement with the teeth 8 by `means of a spring 1 1, which is interposed between the lower end of the plunger and the closed end of the socket 10, said spring surrounding a stem 12, which stein is secured at one end to the plunger 9, while the opposite end thereof extends through a bore 1n the lower end of the socket'and has secured thereto any suitable form of tab 13, so that the plunger may be readily pulled out of engagement with the teeth 8,v when it is desired to release the lever 6. y

The arm 2 is provided with an opening 14, through which extends a holding strap 15, said .strap being secured at one end to the upper end of the lever 6 and extended across the space between the arms -2 and 4, while the opposite end thereof is directed through an eye-bolt 16 and is anchored to a screw-eye 17 on the o erating handle 18.

The c osed end of the body 1 is provided with a shank 19, which is pivotally mounted between ears 20, carried by a collar 21, the eye-bolt extending through said ears and the lower end of the shank to form apivot4 pin for the shank. The collar 21 is clamped around a thinible 21a, which fits over the end.

of the handle 1S and the thimble is held in a ixed position on the handle by providing the handle with a cavity 22, in which is seated a stud 23 carried by the thimble, thus n ormally holding the thimble in a iixed relation to the handle. The shank 24 of the eye-bolt 16, forming vthe pivot pin for the shank 19, 1s also employed for clamping the collar 21 on the thimble 21a and while the end of the shank 24 is shown as riveted, it will be readlly understood that the same may be secured in any other preferred manner.

The shank 19 is adapted to be swung between the ears .20 to dispose the body frpm the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. and in order to normally hold the body in is adjusted position, a spring 25 is fixed to the thiinble 21"v and the free end thereof is directed between the ears 20 and in engagementwith the lower end of the shank UNifrED srA'ras ra'rnivr orrroa,

lever 6 and prevent the same from causing mal, the end of the strap 1 5 is inserted 'through In order to cusmontheiupper end of the abrasions by coming incontact with the 'vanian o ening 26 in the upper end of the lever 6. and 1s then extended upwardly over the end of the lever 6 and held in this-position vby placing the strap through a slit'27 in that end' of the strap directed over the upper end of' the lever 6. i

In Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, I have` shown a slightly different construction, in that the shank 19 is dispensed with andone arm of the body portion 1 formed integral with the thimble 21 and the lever 6, in this instance, is provided with a bifurcated end 2S, which engages an arm 2S) of the body 1, and, instead of having a plurality of teeth thereon, a notch 30 is provided in the bifurcated end 28, which is adapted to be engaged by'ia latch 31, said latch having depending ears. 32, which extend to each side of the arm 29 an( are secured thereto by means of a pivotfpin 33, while the handle portion 34 of the latch`31 is engaged by spring 35, one end of whicliis-ixed to the arm 29. The latch 31 l is arranged `to bear against the end of the lever 6 a -.alltimes and the tension of the spring 35i {such that the latch will be caused to bind on t `'e end of the lever and normally hold said leve\r "in` its open position. This form of device is tourbe operated by giving a pull on the handle, the stra 15 being secured to the freeiendgof the lever 6 in the usual manner, whlelth ,opposite end thereof is extended througlrthe opening 14 in the arm 2 and the outer end thereof knotted, as shown at 36, to prevent the end of the strap from being pulled through the opening 14 the knot takinU the place or' the screw eye 17 for anchoring die end of the strap 15 and b v locating the knot at different points in the length of the strap, the size ofthe loop formed by that portion of the strap between the arm 2 and end of the lever `6, will be accordingly increased or decreased.

In operation, the body 1 is directed into engagement with the limb of an animal, the arms 2 and 4 passing to each side of the limb. This will result in forcing that portion of the strap 15 across the mouth ofthe body 1, between the arms 2 and 4, and as one end of the strap is anchored, the lever G will be drawn across the mouth of the body 1, as best shown by dotted lines in Fie'. 1, the strap 15 forming a loop around thedimb of the animal and I in order to regulate the size of the loop, the i end of the strap 15 may be released from the l eye 17 and the strap moved en dwise through the opening'14 to increase the size of the loop l when the end of the strap maybe again an` g chored to the eye 17, and the strap may be l accordingly shortened, when the loop is to be l y .i eeaseo made' smaller, and in that form of device shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the sizeof the loop may be increased or decreased by properly placing the knotted portion 36.

It dll thus be seen that I have provided a very cheap 'and' economical form of animal catching and holding device, and byproviding the cusluons at the ends of the arms 2 and lever 6 and fornnng theengaging loop of leather, the animal will not be injured when engaged by the holding device and it will further be seen that the strap may be readily adjusted to form loops of ditierent sizes. It Wiil further be seenth'at by providing the,

handle 18, the device may be placed in en- 30 gegemcnt with the limb of an animal without the operator approaching near enough to the animal to frighten the same.

What I claim is:

1. A. catchinf1r and holdin@ device of the 35 class described, comprising a body having arms ears on one of said arms, a lever piv otally and adjustably mounted between said ears, a head at the pivoted end o said lever,

teeth on said head, a plunger adapted to engage said teeth and hold the lever in its adjusted position, means to release said )lunfer from the teeth, ash ank on said body, alliandle, means to secure said handle to the shank, a

stra extending across the's ace in said bod f 95 P s P 3 and engaging the free end o' said lever, said strap forming a cushion over the end oi said lever, one of the arms of the body having\an opening therethrough to 'receive the strap and means to anchor the end of the strap, 10o

vvhereby a loop will be formed between the arms when the device is directed into engagement with an object.

2. The herein described catching and holdf ing device, comprising a body, arms on said body, one of said arms having an openingy therein, ears at the free end of the opposite arm, a lever pivotally and adjustably mounted between said ears, a head on the pivoted end lj oi the lever, teeth on said head, a plunger 11'0 adapted to engage said teeth and hold the lever in its adjusted position` means to release the plunger from the teeth, a shank on said body, a handle, a collar adapted to surround said handle, ears on said collar to receive said handle and eye-bolts adapted to clamp the collar on the handle. and form a pivot for said shank, a strap adapted to extend through the o lening in the. arm and exi gage the upper ein of said lever, said strap 20 rorminv a cushion for the upper end of the lever, tie opposite end of said strap beinor extended through said eye-bolts and anchore to the handle, whereby a loop will be formed in the strap between saidarms when the body is directed into engagement with an object.

3. A catching and holding dev1ce\of the class described, comprising a substantially U-shaped body, arms extending from said strap'extending through the opening in 'theV arm.

4. A cathing and holding device of the class described, com rising a substantially U-shaped body, 'para lelin@r arrns extending from said body, one ofsai arms having an opening ,th-eretllrough, a lever pivotally secured to one of said arms, means to hold said ody, a cush-I lever in itssblen or closed position, a strap. extending'through the opening in the arm and across thespaee in the body, one end of 20" said strap beingextended 'over the up* er end 'of said lever tokforni acusl'ion, sai strap being adapted to be adjusted longitudinally,

.v-hereby the length of that Portion of the strap between tlrsarm and tne end of the 25 lever may be increased or decreased. In testimony whereof I have signed my l name to this specification in the presence of 1 two subscribing witnesses.

ELLET L. HITT.

l Witnesses:

JOHN PALMEIQ, HENRY OTmmN. 

